1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a one-piece, adjustable compression adapter which is to be attached to the existing bearing plate of a circular power saw to quickly and easily convert the worm driven circular saw to a sprocket driven chain saw which is capable of making smooth, deep cuts with both precision and accuracy.
2. Prior Art
Attachments are known by which to convert a circular saw into a chain saw. Examples of such known attachments may be found be referring to U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,035 issued July 5, 1977 and to the documents listed therein.
However, as a shortcoming of most known conversion attachments, an existing bearing plate, common to the conventional circular saw, must first be removed before the adapter can be attached and the circular cutting blade replaced by a cutting chain. Such a removal and replacement typically requires the user to remove several screws and washers. Of course, once the chain saw conversion has been made, the bearing plate must then be replaced. This removal and replacement process of the existing bearing plate is sometimes difficult and time consuming. Moreover, the screws and washers for such bearing plate may be lost. What is more, the conventional conversion attachment may not have application to all, or to substantially all, commercially available circular saws.
Therefore, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide an adjustable adapter which may be quickly and easily attached to the existing bearing plate of a circular power saw to permit a circular cutting blade to be replaced by a cutting chain, and vice versa, without requiring the user to first remove the bearing plate in order to accomplish this conversion.
It is another important advantage of the present invention for the adapter to provide a secure mount for the chain saw bar so that the associated cutting chain can make smooth cuts with precision and accuracy and thereby avoid the relatively rough and hard to control cut which is characteristic of conventional chain saws.